Grostere City
Grostere is one of the first of the cities founded by humans leaving the continent of Farthrone over a thousand years ago. It is located along the west coast of Etan on the Dividing Sea. It is the capital of the Kingdom of Grostere over which it claims dominion under its king and the provincial capital of the province of Grostange. History Early Settlement Grostere is one of the oldest Human settlements on Etan, having been founded by refugees from Farthrone long ago. The land along the coast held perfect conditions for pasture farming while further east large tracts of land were set aside for crop farming. Expansion The King claimed the surrounding countryside though the neighbouring Noble States often settled in those regions ignoring the sovereignty of the kingdom. Pelor's Glory During the period known as Pelor's Glory, Grostere's Kingship received official recognition from the other Noble States as being its own dynasty with a right to rule those territories it claimed due to its participation in the war against the Seethe-Tenshackle Alliance that invaded southern Etan. In the later parts of the period Grostere was filled with refugees escaping famine in the countryside and was the centre for the growing religious movement that pushed for a return to older religious doctrines related to the god Pelor. A road was built connecting the city to Schwarzmeer during the year 67PG during the height of the religious zealotry of Pelor's Glory, ''known as the Sun Road which connects the rest of the human settlements of Etan to trade with Vhir. War of Bloodied Gauntlets ''For more on this, see here. During the War of Bloodied Gauntlets, the capital city hosted the first Council of the Noble Alliance, which was comprised of the Noble States. Long Night For more on this, see here. Many refugees fleeing the vampires of the Quel'Doran Empire settled in Grostere City, with the current population of halflings tracing their lineage back to exiles from the north. Divine Era For more on this, see here. During the Divine Era, the capital city was beset by many challenges. War in the Silence For more on this, see here. The capital city was the site of the defiant speech made by Prince Dafin against an alliance with the entity known as the Heir. Rise of Tiamat For more on this, see here. During the Rise of Tiamat, Grostere City played host to the Council of the Noble Alliance. As refugees from the province of Grostange flooded the streets of the capital city seeking safety from the dragon threat. The New Truth that had been drafted since the end of the Silence of the Gods was released, dissuading people from trusting in arcane magic, leading to many magical institutions and shops closing down. Structure The King The city has a monarchy that claims dominion over much of the surrounding lands of Grostere, sometimes referred to as the House of Grost, though this is seldom used as the reference to the ancestor of the family is believed to risk the worship of the family for the deeds of their forebears rather than the current ruler. The ruling sovereign does not have direct control over the city which in its charter is decreed as 'belonging to its people' ''following its founding by the aforementioned ancestor. The kingdom's primary palace is located a tenday's travel from the city in the township of Manse. There is of course a palace in the city but it is only used in coronation ceremonies where a new king or queen must make a pilgrimage from the city's gates to the cathedral and then on to the palace. The current king is His Majesty Sanctus II, having arise to the position following the abdication of his father. The Nobles Below the king are his court of nobles, wealthy figures from the city and countryside whose ancestors we part of the warrior class that defended the realm. Many of these nobles are tied heavily to the Church, with many second sons entering the priesthood as a tradition. The Church The Church of Pelor maintains a strong priesthood in Grostere, drawing members from all strata of society. The church maintains the codified 'Truth', the collected and approved interpretation of the dogma of Pelor taken from a myriad of sources collected by the Royal Institute of Truth, and led by the Pontif Solier. The Church has a large presence in the city, with its .many temples and cathedrals dominating the skyline. Most street corners host demagogues and preachers, delivering the Truth or an interpretation of it. The military arm of the Church are paladins known as Crusaders. While they are devoted to the institution of the Church and will always carry out the will of the clerics when asked, most spend their time either as roaming adventurers seeking to uphold the core tenants of Pelor as protecting the meek and vanquishing evil, though exactly which of those two takes precedence is up to the individuals interpretation. Crusaders will protect holy sites, with many temples in Grostere City having chapter houses attached for their knight protectors. Politics Court of Shadows The politics of Grostere is centred around the King's court, with the King's favour translating into political capital for his ministers and nobles, with the underhanded scheming and intrigue being referred to as the goings on of the Court of Shadows, contrast with the official Court of the Sun. Foreign Affairs Grostere has had a long history of interaction between its neighbours, sometimes as allies and other times as enemies. During the infancy of the state there was a fear that the monarchy would not be recognised, a fear that some say continues in the actions of the king who favours grand gestures that emulate what a popular view of king would carry out rather than the practical choice. Osana Grostere and Osana maintained a tepid relationship for many years, although Grostere refused to accept any proposed trade agreement, likely due to prejudices towards beast-races such as the Capranix or skepticism towards magocratic rule, driven by religious doctrine. Relationships would improve as the two nations worked together as part of the Noble Alliance. Since the arrival of Tiamat, any bond of camaraderie between the two states has vanished, as Osana became further militarised and moved to usurp leadership of the Noble Alliance from Grostere. The Noble States The Noble States border Grostere for most of its length down its eastern side, with a long history of shifting markers deciding where the kingdom ends and the domain of the city states begin. Grostere and many of the Noble States share much in terms of culture with many citizens from both countries having family over the border. Every city in the Noble States will have some sort of Grostere representation, and if not then an unofficial one almost certainly exists. Rock-Harbour Grostere maintains no diplomatic connection to Rock-Harbour whom they view as savages incapable of forming any meaningful pacts or agreements beyond immediate military gain. The Ogre Dominance, which lies on the southern border of Grostere is frequently seen as a troublesome regions that requires frequent counter-raiding after attacks on farms and villages. Okarthel Grostere trades with the city of Okarthel across the Dividing Sea and House Hrekimi maintaining various trade and diplomatic offices in Grostere's harbour district. Quel'Doran Grostere has historically seen the Empire of Quel'Doran as their enemy due to their vampiric origins and their perversion of the worship of Pelor with their claim to be descended from the god himself. As it stands currently, Grostere has no interesting in diplomatic relations with them and neither do the elves. Schwarzmeer The Dredger's Federation of Schwarzmeer trade with Grostere, though the kingdom does not recognise the city as a state, rather just as collection of companies who it deals with individually. Thoruum The dwarven city of Thoruum has been Grostere's ally for many years, with the two co-operating on raids into the Skyshatter Mountains, the two people's friendship stemming from deeds during the Seethe-Tenshackle Invasion during ''Pelor's Glory. Domestic Affairs Urban King Solrei IV had implemented a policy that reduced the autonomy of the other cities in the kingdom, pulling their best administrative personal to the capital city where they are integrated into a nationwide system, one which King Sanctus II has not yet changed. Most of the other cities are historically ruled by Dukes related to the king or coming from ancient dynasties, though they are no longer permitted to form their own policy towards each other and foreign states as they had in the past, though administration of the city itself still falls to them. Rural The countryside of Grostere is divided up into baronies and fiefdoms, which are then further divided into township and villages. The closer one gets to the city of Grostere the more uniform the layout of the villages become, with a central node and roads radiating out in emulation of a sunburst towards other settlements. Further away however and the towns are less planned, with haphazard layouts where farmers and lords placed their homes and castles wherever was best at the time with no regard for future planning. Military State Forces Grostere official military is provided by its nobility, with each being responsible for raising a quota of troops. Depending on taxing data gathered every few years, a noble could have to provide anything from five peasant infantrymen to a hundred armoured knights. Knightly Orders Many different orders of knights and cavaliers maintain chapter houses in the cities of Grostere, each devoted to a different cause but most respecting the common law of the state. These knights are often called upon by the cities to respond to some threat, preferring to use people bound by oath to act rather than those driven by a desire for coin such as mercenaries. Local Militia Under the law of the state the peasants of the towns and villages of the countryside of Grostere are permitted to limited training and arming if they qualify after the census is collected. Usually this is kept to minimum as few lords like the idea of their peasants being armed, though in some regions such as the north and south where their are threats of ogres and monsters raiding it is usually necessary. Some of the qualifications include contributions of taxes and surplus that could be under threat from raiders. Society Faith Grostere society is dominated by the Church of Truth, with the drive to serve Pelor and their King the goal of every law abiding citizen in Grostere. People are called to service by the many bells atop the many church buildings throughout the city. Some say the bells were used in ages past to summon the hosts of heaven to defend the city, though now they primarily serve to keep the time in the city. An hour is often referred to as a "bell" by locals, with different bells in the city always going off at certain times that locals can use to estimate the exact time of day. Wealth The average person is Grostere city is usually quite poor while in the countryside the prosperity of ones lord is a greater factor in deciding one's wealth. Academia Grostere City hosts the large Royal Institute of Truth, the largest academic organisation in the kingdom. Religion The Ten The people of Grostere are known to be more religious than many other human settlements with the Ten of Etan featuring prominently in their architecture, especially Pelor whom they view as their patron deity. The city boasts one of the largest cathedrals in the world where worship is held daily. The TruthCategory:LocationCategory:HumanCategory:EtanCategory:Settlement The most prominent religious belief in the state and the one accepted by the kingdom as its official religion is the 'Truth', the codified doctrine of the Church of Pelor in Grostere that was decided upon by the first king of the city during Pelor's Glory. Category:Grostere